Champions League: Liverpool earn £71.9m from last season's run to the final

Liverpool fans could just be getting over the bitter taste of defeat in last season's Champions League final but their run to Kiev earned the club a £71. 9m sweetener.

Uefa has released the money paid to last season's Champions League and Europa League teams, and Liverpool top the set of British sides after reaching their eighth final.

Only winners Real Madrid earned more - £78. 4m, including a £13. 7m bonus for winning a 13th European Cup.

Manchester City earned £56. 5m after achieving the last eight, while Chelsea (£57. 6m), Tottenham (£54. 3m) and Manchester United (£35. 7m) only managed to get to the last 16.

Celtic received £29. 6m, which also included money for dropping down to the Europa League after being knocked out at the Champions League group stage.

Chelsea earned more than City despite Pep Guardiola's team going further in your competition by virtue of an increased 'market pool' payment.

This takes into account payments from the host TELEVISION broadcaster and the league position in the last season's Premier League, which Chelsea won.

This also explains why Manchester United received much less as they finished outside the top four in 2016-17 and qualified for the Champions League via winning the Europa League.

The total payments also included bonuses for reaching each stage of the competition and winning games in the group stage.

In total £1. 25bn was paid to teams in the Champions League.

Europa League disparity
The figures also outline the importance of reaching the Champions League.

Europa League finalists Marseille earned £20. 3m while winners Atletico Madrid earned £14. 3m from the Europa League, even though they did pocket an additional £28m from the Champions League group stage.

Arsenal earned £33. 4m for reaching the semi-finals, with £25. 6m via their 'market pool' payment.

Everton received £12. 5m after exiting at the group stage.

In total, £379m was paid to teams in the Europa League - which equates to 30% of money paid to teams in the Champions League.

No wonder the clamour for the Premier League's top four hasn't been greater.